GREENSBORO – UNC Greensboro steadily built a lead against the North Carolina A&T softball team on Wednesday afternoon to beat the Aggies 8-0 in six innings at the Lady Aggies Softball Complex.

Despite only having two hits, the Aggies left seven runners on base thanks to four walks and hit batsman by UNCG starter Lacey Leary. The Aggies just could not come up with the hit to bring the runners home. Alejandra Barcenas had both the Aggies hits, a double in the second inning and another one in the fifth. Barcenas is now on a six-game hitting streak, and she is hitting .500 (8-for-16) during the streak.

Meanwhile, the Spartans put together a season-high 16 hits. The Aggies (3-7) kept the game close until the Spartans fifth. But Lindsay Thomas was able to lead off the fifth with a single just out of the stretch of Barcenas at third. Danielle Vega followed by launching a double to the center-field fence to score Thomas for a 4-0 Spartans lead.

After A&T second baseman Zebresha Blakeney made a spectacular play at second by fielding a ricochet off the foot of relief pitcher Maiven McKnight, scooping the ball with her glove and tossing the ball over with her glove hand to put out Toni MacReynolds. McKnight then struck out Emily Lopez, but the Spartans kept the inning going thanks to an RBI double to center field by Ally Vergona.

UNCG put the game away in the sixth by starting off the inning with three straight singles to load the bases. Thomas’ sacrifice fly to center scored Katelyn Bedwell for a 6-0 UNCG lead. After Vega grounded out, MacReynolds hit a rocket off the glove of Blakeney into right field, scoring Bedwell. Pinch-hitter Hagan Kiser drove in the Spartans final run of the game with an RBI single to right to score Tory Wright.

Relief pitcher Raeanne Hanks came in the sixth and retired the Aggies in order as the Spartans improved to 9-8. Leary (2-1) picked up the win for UNCG while A&T starter Shelby Snyder (0-3) took the loss.

The Aggies head to Nashville, Tenn., for the weekend to participate in the Tennessee State Tournament. They open the tourney against St. Louis Friday afternoon at 4:30. They will also play Tennessee State and Arkansas Pine-Bluff. The consolation and championship games will be played Sunday.